Lesson 1Cables, connectors, and adapters: XLR wiring, impedance, phantom power, and ruggedizationCheck out cable, connector, and adapter options for solid location work. Get to grips with XLR pinouts, balanced vs unbalanced wiring, impedance matching, phantom power, strain relief, and toughening strategies to stop hum, crackle, and breakdowns.
Balanced XLR wiring and pin standardsImpedance, capacitance, and cable lengthPhantom power specs and safety checksRight-angle, locking, and barrel adaptersRugged jackets, boots, and strain reliefLesson 2Compact directional mics vs long shotgun trade-offs for indoor dialogueCompare compact directional mics and long shotguns for indoor scenes. Look at room reflections, off-axis colour, reach, and handling, learning how ceiling height, wall distance, and reverb guide mic length and pattern for clear dialogue.
Room acoustics and reflection controlShort shotguns and supercardioidsLong interference tubes indoorsCeiling height and boom anglesChoosing mics for tight locationsLesson 3Field recorders and mixers: preamp quality, gain range, limiter/Pad, sample rates and bit depthCheck field recorders and mixers on preamp quality, gain range, limiters, pads, and digital specs. See how sample rate, bit depth, media backup, power choices, and monitoring affect headroom, noise, and reliability out in the field.
Preamp noise, headroom, and gain stepsLimiters, pads, and safety track useSample rates, bit depth, and formatsPowering, batteries, and runtimeMetadata, routing, and backup mediaLesson 4Lavalier microphones: omnidirectional vs directional lavs, mic capsules and placement tipsDive into lavalier mic types and placement tricks. Contrast omni and directional lavs, capsule build, mounting gear, hiding under clothes, and cable runs to cut rustle, sweat damage, and RF or handling noise.
Omnidirectional lav strengths and limitsDirectional lavs and aiming challengesCapsule size, grills, and moisture guardsMounts, tape, and clothing concealmentCable routing to reduce rustle noiseLesson 5Accessories: shock mounts, headphones, wind jacks, cable management, and soft carry casesLook over key accessories that keep mics steady, safe, and sorted. Compare shock mounts, wind shields, headphones, and cable tools, zeroing in on noise cut, toughness, comfort, and quick setup on tough shoots.
Shock mount isolation types and ratingsClosed-back vs open-back headphonesWindjammers, covers, and storage careCable ties, reels, and strain reliefSoft cases, padding, and layout planningLesson 6Polar patterns: cardioid, supercardioid, hypercardioid characteristics and off-axis rejectionExplore how cardioid, supercardioid, and hypercardioid patterns act on and off axis. Learn how polar response, rear lobes, and rejection angles shape isolation, room tone, and boom or plant mic spots.
Cardioid pickup and proximity behaviorSupercardioid pattern and rear lobe controlHypercardioid reach and side rejection limitsOff-axis coloration and tonal changesChoosing patterns for typical locationsLesson 7Wind protection and high-frequency impact of foam, zeppelin, blimp, and deadcatGet how foam, zeppelins, blimps, and deadcats shield from wind while tweaking tone. Weigh bulk, cut, and high-end loss, plus placement, upkeep, and testing for various weather.
Foam covers and mild breeze controlZeppelin shells and suspension choicesBlimp plus deadcat for strong windsHF loss, EQ compensation, and testsRain, dust, and cleaning proceduresLesson 8Shotgun boom microphones: models, capsule sizes, frequency responseCompare shotgun boom mics by length, capsule size, and voicing. See how interference tubes, frequency response, off-axis colour, and self-noise affect reach, indoor reflections, and fit for film or doco work.
Short vs long interference tube designCapsule size, sensitivity, and noiseFrequency response curves and voicingHandling noise and suspension needsMatching models to shooting scenariosLesson 9Plant/spot mics and boundary microphones: when to use, placement, and phasing issuesLearn when plant, spot, and boundary mics beat booms or lavs. Explore set placement, phase links, surface reflections, and time tweaks for clear mono and stereo compatibility.
When to choose plant or spot micsBoundary mic physics and use casesPlacement on walls, floors, and tablesPhase, comb filtering, and timingBlending plants with boom and lavsLesson 10Wireless systems: digital vs analog, latency, encryption, channelization, antenna best practicesStudy wireless audio for location jobs. Compare analogue and digital links, latency, encryption, channel spacing, antenna types, gain staging, and coord strategies to dodge dropouts, noise, and interference on busy RF sets.
Analog vs digital link characteristicsLatency budgets for dialogue syncEncryption options and key handlingChannel planning and intermod spacingAntenna placement and diversity useLesson 11Boom poles: carbon fiber vs aluminum, length choices, telescoping vs two-stageWeigh boom pole materials, lengths, and setups for different gigs. Compare carbon fibre and aluminium, locking collars, internal cabling, and handling to ease fatigue, handling noise, and vibes on long dialogue takes.
Carbon fiber vs aluminum trade-offsTwo-stage vs multi-section designsLocking collars and maintenanceInternal vs external cable routingBoom operating posture and grip
